“I can’t do this,” I said, my voice low.
“You can’t do what?” Sorcha asked, though her tone suggested she already knew.
“I cannot allow her to bind herself to Prince Martainn.” The words tumbled out before I could stop them. “I can’t stand there and watch her claim him. I must speak to her first.”
Sorcha’s bright eyes softened as she placed a hand on my arm. “Then go to her. Find her. Tell her how you feel. Stop the ceremony.”
Catriona’s gaze was steady, her voice low. “This isn’t just about her safety anymore, Addan. This is about you. About her. About the bond you share. You are her Resonant. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. If you don’t fight for her now, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
I stared at them, my chest heaving. Their words pierced through every wall I’d built around myself. I’d been so focused on protecting Paige, on finding out who murdered her mother, on doing the right thing, the honorable thing, that I hadn’t allowed myself to think about what I wanted. It hurt too fucking much.
I wanted her. She was mine, even if she didn’t know it yet.
Thank fuck no male on Earth had mistakenly triggered her resonance. She didn’t belong to someone else.
She.
Was.
Mine.
More importantly, I was hers, her Resonant.
The decision solidified in my mind like stone. I stood abruptly, stepping out of the transport and turning toward the palace’s main entrance.
“What are you going to do?” Sorcha called after me. I could hear the grin in her voice.
“Stop the wedding.” My heart beat sure and steady for the first time in days.
“Be careful, brother. The Prince will not give her up so easily.” Catriona’s warning fell on deaf ears. I already knew the prince would not want to let her go. What male would?
Not me.
He wanted a queen. Power. Status. He’d go from being the queen’s son to being the king. That was his goal now, not the woman herself.
My heart pounded as every step I took carried me closer to her. Closer to the woman who had upended my life and changed everything I thought I knew.
The security team I’d assembled flowed into the palace behind me and disappeared, scattering among the guests, vanishing down long corridors. I was not alone. Every soldier knew their primary purpose was to protect Paige. I didn’t believe Alienor—or whoever had killed her mother—would make a move on Paige before the wedding. Not when she was behaving, obeying, following along with the law and her dead mother’s betrothal contract.
I didn’t know what I would say to her or how I would convince her not to claim the prince. To claim me instead. I knew one thing with absolute certainty, I couldn’t let her go.
Not to Prince Martainn. Not to anyone.
Paige was mine. She was my Resonant, my fucking everything. And I was going to make damn sure she knew it—before it was too late.
It was time to stop a royal fucking wedding.
21
Paige
The gown felt like a dream.If I’d been about to marry Addan, it would have been better than a dream.
Ivory and gold silk cascaded over my body, layers of fabric shimmering as I moved. The skirt flared out dramatically from my hips, its intricate folds edged in dark blue—the royal family’s colors. Embedded in the fabric were tiny flecks of crystal that caught the light, creating the illusion of stars sparkling in a midnight sky. Golden threads wove an elaborate pattern of constellations across the bodice, while the high neckline dipped slightly in front to reveal a delicate chain of diamonds that shimmered against my skin.
The sleeves—long, fitted, and tapering into a point over my hands—were translucent and adorned with more golden constellations, creating the illusion that the stars had settled on my arms. A train stretched out behind me, so long it required two attendants to manage it as I moved. It flowed like liquid light, heavy yet ethereal.
My hair, a riot of red curls, had been swept up into an intricate crown of braids pinned with sapphires and gold. Curls cascaded down my back, their rich color contrasting beautifully with the gown’s pale tones. Around my neck rested a statement piece—a heavy choker of gold and dark blue gemstones, perfectly matched to the earrings that dangled against my neck. The final touch? A delicate tiara perched atop my head, a symbol of the new role I was reluctantly stepping into.
